Jin was a girl from Ba Sing Se who developed a crush on Zuko and asked him out on a date. Like most people in the Lower Ring, Jin's parents were refugees who had moved to the city; though they struggled most of their lives, they were strong and able to provide for their family.[2]

Contents

History

Date with Zuko

Jin frequently visited the tea shop where Iroh and Zuko were employed, causing Zuko to conclude that she knew they were from the Fire Nation. Iroh, however, immediately contradicted Zuko's suspicions and told him that the girl had a crush on him. Jin came up to the counter to pay for her tea and to talk to him; after Zuko introduced himself as Lee, Jin finally built up the courage to ask him out on a date, to which Iroh said that Zuko "would love to". Excitedly leaving the shop, she said that she would meet Zuko there at sundown.

When Zuko emerged from the shop, his hair combed and cleaned by his uncle, Jin immediately went through it to get it back to normal, before pulling him along to a restaurant in the Middle Ring of the city. Trying to make conversation during an awkward dinner, she asked some questions about Zuko and Iroh's background; not being able to tell the truth, Zuko blurted out that they traveled the world a lot as part of a traveling circus. Jin guessed that he was a juggler, to which Zuko reluctantly agreed and was forced to give a performance. After Zuko failed miserably at this, Jin took him to the Firelight Fountain, one of her favorite places in the city.

Jin talked excitedly about how beautiful the fountain looked when the light of the lanterns reflected in the water, but was saddened to see that they were not lit when they arrived. Noticing her disappointment, Zuko asked Jin to close her eyes while he carefully used his firebending to light the lanterns. To thank him for lighting the lanterns, Jin turned to Zuko to give him a kiss, but Zuko interrupted her by holding a coupon for a free cup of tea in front of his face, to which she replied how sweet he was. She proceeded to say that she had something for Zuko as well for which he also needed to close his eyes. Obeying her request, Jin softly kissed Zuko on the lips; a gesture he hesitantly returned, before backing away. When she asked what was wrong, he simply excused himself by saying that it was "complicated" and that he had to go, leaving her standing alone.[1]

Shortly after the fall of the capital, Jin noticed Zuko walking with Mai, and called him by his refugee name, Lee, to ask who Mai was. Zuko, clearly uncomfortable at the situation, said that Mai was a friend from the circus, where she was a knife thrower. Joining the charade, Mai offered to teach Jin to throw knives, and she had Zuko stand in front of a fountain with a fish from a nearby market on his head. Mai explained that the trick was in the wrist, and she accurately hit the fish with an icicle. When it was Jin's turn, she tossed the icicle and barely missed Zuko's head, making him subsequently fall into the fountain.[4]

Personality

Though not aggressive or assertive, Jin was nonetheless a determined girl, pursuing her desires instead through her kind personality. She was an understanding young woman and a true romantic at heart.[1]